Participating in the Online Discussions

Everyone is expected to participate in the online discussions. It does make a difference in how well you do in the course.

New discussion forums will be opened whenever we start a new topic or step in the Instructional Design process. Older discussion forums will be closed to new postings, so although you will be able to read what is written there, you will not be able to add to it. Therefore, you will find it difficult to add enough postings if you wait until near the end of the semester. Your best strategy is to post every week, usually several times.

I will be posting questions about each topic, but I encourage you to start your own discussions about things that you consider important in the course.

Postings that do not count

Not all discussion forum postings count toward your points. For example, there is a "Coffee Shop" forum, where you can socialize, get to know the other class members, and so forth. Postings there do not count, even though they may be useful. Similarly, there is a discussion forum where you can ask (and answer) questions about how the course works (e.g. deadlines, details about assignments, etc.) I hope that you will use this to ask me questions and to answer one another's questions. But those postings don't count either.

Finally, postings that are not substantive do not count. It can be nice to tell someone that you agree with their opinion, but it doesn't add to the discussion. See below for more information.

Postings that do count

So what does count? Meaningful contributions that give well-supported opinions, that ask good questions, and so on. Here's the point structure:

•  3 points:  A posting can receive three points if it asks a question about the course material that receives at least five substantive replies from other class members. That is, the most valuable posting is one that gets a good discussion going among your classmates. It has to be a question and a discussion that, in my judgment, is relevant, on-topic, and meaningful.
•  2 points: A posting can receive two points if it asks a good question that receives only one to four replies. It can also receive two points if it is an especially good reply to a question that I or another class member posts. To receive two points, a reply must be cogent, supported by evidence, and contribute to the discussion. I'm the one who gets to decide these things.
•  1 point: A posting can receive one point if it is a good reply to a question (or a question that I think is a good one that no one replies to). It should address the issues raised in the question and add to the discussion in some way.
•  0 points: A posting that does not add substantively to the discussion receives no points. It may simply repeat what someone else said, or simply express agreement or encouragement. If it is evident that you are just putting together random thoughts in order to supply a posting, then I reserve the right to award it zero points. (This has happened at the end of the semester as people try to catch up. It is very irritating.)

I reserve the right to award fewer points for a specific posting based on poor diction, grammar, punctuation, etc. These are all parts of effective communication.

I will update the number of points each of you has earned for the discussions as we go through the semester.